[Viewpoint] Lawmakers Obsessed with Self-Promotional Shorts

As the voices of lawmakers grew louder during the National Assembly audit, aides began recording videos on their mobile phones. The lawmakers, as if wanting to be filmed even better, strained their necks and shouted at the top of their lungs. The videos were then edited into Shorts for YouTube. Sometimes, these edited clips even included notices soliciting political donations. The aim was to win over fervent supporters and collect donations. To achieve this, attacking opposing lawmakers became a basic tactic. Even profanity and abusive language appeared. Such scenes were not isolated incidents during this year's audit. Amid the daily chaos, lawmakers became obsessed with creating self-promotional Shorts to show off how fiercely they were fighting.

This year's audit, which began on October 13, will continue until the end of this month for most standing committees, except for a few. With this being the first audit under the Lee Jaemyung administration, both the ruling and opposition parties vowed to focus on "people's livelihoods." However, from the very first day, policy scrutiny and oversight of the executive branch took a back seat. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which summoned Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae as a witness, was immediately engulfed in political strife. Even photos mocking the Chief Justice appeared. Any sense of respect for the judiciary was nowhere to be found.

Similar scenes repeatedly unfolded in other audit sessions. Lawmakers exchanged crude language both verbally and through text messages. Some acted as if they were above the judiciary and the executive branch. It seemed as though they were determined to stand out no matter what. In the past, lawmakers often pushed issues to favor their own side during audits, but if they resorted to shouting without logic, it would often backfire.

What memories did this year's audit leave behind? Were there lawmakers who logically criticized flawed government policies? Or were there lawmakers who were only focused on self-promotion? The latter seems far more likely. There is a saying that "for politicians, all news is good news except for their own obituary." Whether the news is good or bad, what matters most is that the public remembers the politician's name. That is why I have not mentioned any lawmakers by name in this article. I did not want to fall into their noise marketing trap. While self-promotional Shorts spread through social media may win applause from fervent supporters, they draw criticism from many other citizens. Lawmakers are surely aware of this. Still, it is a "profitable business" for them.

To secure party nominations in next year's local elections, lawmakers must win over their most fervent supporters. It is difficult to avoid a competition to appear the most outspoken. For those eyeing next year's local elections, this year's audit became the perfect stage to promote themselves. The stage was set. Even actions that would be criticized by newspapers and broadcasters become achievements on social media. Lawmakers are portrayed as warriors or fighters. However, even in self-promotion and in showing supporters the dramatic images they desire, there must be a line that should not be crossed. If that line is crossed, a clear warning must be given. Otherwise, it is certain that next year's audit will see even more rampant self-promotional Shorts.

Although not widely known, several lawmakers made genuine efforts to fulfill their role of government oversight during this audit. Even if there was no so-called "big hit," there were those who evaluated policies and proposed alternatives. This is why there is still hope for our politics. We must not forget this year's audit. If a lawmaker who was busy self-promoting during the audit runs in next year's local elections, we must recall their words and actions. Ultimately, it is up to the voters to decide whether they are fit to become leaders of local governments.